lantana
you still burn slowly
while there – twisted arbours pushed over piles
linen lantana and a sharp glow
in a dead sea on the very surface
a wave will prick us
disconnection
a white dove is falling gently
one remembers the other
with clumsy cuneiform writing
at break of day
at the break of next year’s world
in a small hotel
with no paper
with no daybreak
wave
you feed the rugged waves
a feeder floats
swelled up swept clean
sleek squall sleet
translated by Ola Bilińska
Joanna RoszakJoanna Roszak – born 1981, author of two books of poetry: Tintinnabuli (2006) and Lele (2009); works as lecturer at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 2009 she defended her PhD thesis on Tymoteusz Karpowicz’s speach synthesis (Synteza mowy Tymoteusza Karpowicza); author of the books: Południk spotkania. Paul Celan w polskiej poezji powojennej (Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, 2009), W cztery strony naraz. Portrety Tymoteusza Karpowicza (2010) and Synteza mowy Tymoteusza Karpowicza (2011); holder of Polityka weekly magazine scholarchip, nominated for the Young Art Medal (Medal Młodej Sztuki). She has published in: Lipar (Serbia), Pro Femina (Serbia), Przegląd Polski (USA), Odra, Topos, Literatura na Świecie, Res Publica Nowa and Nowe Książki.
Ola Bilińska, photo Magdalena KmiecikOla Bilińska – born 1986, singer, songwriter and translator, student at the English Literature Department of Warsaw University. She is currently writing her MA thesis on the influence of music, sound and performance on the poetry of G.M. Hopkins, T.S. Eliot and Dylan Thomas. In an attempt to put theory into practice, she writes song lyrics and translates for other bands, most recently for Pustki. Ola sings in Płyny, an urban-folk band from Warsaw, and Muzyka Końca Lata, a group of nostalgic neo-bigbeaters. Her own stage project involving poetry, music and image has started off recently under the name Babadag.